"No, my dear, I prefer to exercise them for yours, if you will permit it," she returned.
"Ah, you fear to trust me to do the work without the supervision of my capable young wife?" he returned laughingly.
"Possibly it may be done a trifle better, or, at least, more to my mind, with that," she retorted, with becoming gravity. "At all events, I shall know better where to look for what I want, so that, in the end, I shall save myself trouble."
"Ah, then, I will make no further objection, but freely acknowledge that the work will be twice as enjoyable if done under my young wife's supervision."
"Thank you, sir," laughed Violet; "How glad I am now that I insisted on coming to share it. As our stay is likely to be so short, I think, do not you, it will be best to unpack only such things as we are pretty sure to want while here?"
"Very well, my dear; as concerns that matter, you have only to give your orders and see them carried out; while I do likewise in regard to another; namely, that all the manual labor is to be left to other hands than yours."
"Oh, Captain Raymond, how you do spoil me!" laughed Violet. "Who shall say that you won't be sorry for it one of these days, and wish you had encouraged me to be industrious and energetic."
"I am willing to take the risk," he said, placing a chair for her.
"No, I am not ready to sit down yet," she said. "We must first settle who are to be the occupants of each room; and Cousin Annis and Ronald should have the first choice."
"Decidedly they must have of the best; yet, I think it may be the better plan for us to choose for them, or they will not take the best. There are three comfortable rooms on this first floor. Shall we not assign their use to your mother, grandparents, and the Lilburn cousins?"
"By all means," returned Violet. "Then Rosie will share with mamma, Evelyn and our two girls take one of the third story rooms, you and I and our little ones another, and Walter the remaining one. He, you know, must leave us in a few days for college. Oh, the house will accommodate us all very nicely!"
"So I think," he returned, leading the way to the third story; "and now I insist on your having the first choice of the rooms on this floor."
Violet hesitated, glancing inquiringly at Evelyn and Lucilla, who had followed them up the stairway.